The Conversation - Is AI a threat to democracy?

Judging the judges: Scandals have the potential to affect the legitimacy of judges – and possibly the federal judiciary, too

Ali S. Masood, Oberlin College and Conservatory; Benjamin J. Kassow, University of North Dakota; David Miller, East Tennessee State University; Joshua Boston, Bowling Green State University

Courts have no army or police force to enforce their decisions. Their power rests on their legitimacy in the public eye. How does scandal affect that?

Moldova is trying to join the EU, but it will have a hard time breaking away from Russia’s orbit

Tatsiana Kulakevich, University of South Florida

Lack of control over its borders and corruption are two of the issues that could complicate Moldova’s bid to join the EU.

New anti-transgender laws will hurt Indigenous peoples’ rights and religious expression

Rosalyn R. LaPier, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

An Indigenous scholar writes that Indigenous peoples have historically recognized multiple gender identities, which they believe are a result of divine intervention.

The allure of the ad-lib: New research identifies why people prefer spontaneity in entertainment

Jacqueline Rifkin, Cornell University; Katherine Du, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Audiences love improvised, off-the-cuff entertainment, and new research suggests it’s because spontaneity seems to offer a glimpse of the performer’s authentic self.

How do credit scores work? 2 finance professors explain how lenders choose who gets loans and at what interest rate

D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University; Tom Miller Jr., Mississippi State University

Trends show credit scores are rising, with nearly half of all US consumers boasting ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ numbers.

Work requirements don’t work for domestic violence survivors – but Michigan data shows they rarely get waivers they should receive for cash assistance

Kristina Nikolova, Wayne State University; Andrea Hetling, Rutgers University

People who have experienced domestic violence can have trouble finding and keeping jobs because of physical injuries and their abusers’ efforts to sabotage their employment.

How teachers can stay true to history without breaking new laws that restrict what they can teach about racism

W. Fitzhugh Brundage, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A history scholar sees leeway and loopholes in a wave of new state laws that seek to control what teachers can say about racism in America’s past.

Governments and environmental groups are turning to international courts to address the impacts of climate change

Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Nehal El-Hadi, The Conversation

Governments and activist groups are bringing environmental issues to international courts. They argue that the impact of climate change and environmental issues affect human rights.

Cycling could be a boon for Lagos – but people fear for their safety on bikes

Mr. Associated Press: How 20th-century journalism titan Kent Cooper transformed the news industry

Why does my dog eat grass? And when is it not safe for them?

Here’s the second question of this week’s edition (because the first question contains a Succession spoiler):

Which of these points was NOT included in the debt limit deal passed by the House of Representatives on May 31?

1. A. Military spending reduced until 2025
2. B. Debt limit suspended until 2025
3. C. Unspent COVID-19 funds clawed back for other uses
4. D. Gas pipeline permitting rules eased

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